Sunday, July 15, 2012

The Final Words From The Fisherperson

I would like to thank all the people who have given our
family business a warm welcome to Toronto . a special thank you to all who
helped us to bring our unique products to the best people of all, our friends,
customers, and partners in equality, education, and responsible; sustainable;
traditional fishery. It is with a heavy heart that I must suspend my fishing
activities. There are many factors that my family and I have had to consider to
make this difficult decision. We have been recently under the personal scrutiny
of the Ministry of Natural Resources which has focused a program of lateral
harassment towards our First Nation fishing business, by targeting our business
to business customers with an agenda of innuendo of wrong doing. We regret that
we cannot defend ourselves properly to fight this faceless entity that seems to
be using our First Nations treaty rights as a pawn in a non-transparent fishing
negotiations with our elected chiefs and councils.(We have been without a fishing agreement since
Dec. 31, 2010).this new tactic has been the final straw that we cannot continue
to supply the good people of Ontario. This has not been our only challenge but
it is one that we cannot see any way to confront or to excuse. Our business has
overcome and/or found solutions too many obstacles in the past that has been
nature related (wind, algae and temperamental fish).Our family business has been a diamond in the
rough milestone in our family’s path. Again I thank all who have been sold fish
from me, wife or sons.

You have been the wind under our wings as we soared with
giants such as: Chef Jamie Kennedy, Chef Keith Frogget and all the chefs and
lovers of gastronomy ,and the late Elizabeth Harris without these great
people,myself and my family would
bethe poorer(and that is
something,from a First Nations
perspective).Thank you all.“Until our paths cross again.”

3 comments:

Heather C.
said...

Your fish has been a delicious and nourishing part of many meals for my family, and we will miss you at the Wychwood Barns market. We are saddened to hear that you have been subject to harassment and pushed out of a business that you clearly care deeply about, and we wish you and your family all the best.

It’s one thing to have an opinion, it’s a very different thing to support a cause to Ashley Fenn. If you believe we need to protect the strong values that this country was established on, then please support Ashley Fenn.

Introduction to Akiwenzie's Fish

We are a small First Nations sustainable commercial fishing and fish processing company on the west side of Georgian Bay. We are located just north of Wiarton at Neyaashiinigmiing formally known as Chippewas of Nawash.

The fish we offer is only wild caught out of the deep waters of Georgian Bay. The species we usually catch is whitefish and lake trout.

Our smoked fish is Maple smoked. It is smoked over maple wood chips for 6-8 hours and basted with maple syrup.

We have fresh fish that was just caught the day before and they are filleted, pinboned and packaged for market. We only bring the freshest fish and the fish that meet our very high standards to market. On days that the weather wasn't cooperating we will be offering frozen fish. The frozen fish is frozen the same day it was caught to capture the freshness.

We are a family of 5 and Andrew is the fisherman/processor/owner and Natasha is the smoker/processor.